Museum
Things to Do in Cape Cod: The Coast Guard Heritage Museum
By: Matt Romeo
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum is located in a historic custom’s house in
Overview
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum is located at 3353 Main Street (Route 6A), Barnstable, Massachusetts 02630. For those of you walking to the museum, it is located in the historic Customs House on the corner of Main Street and Millway.
What Do You Get for the Price of Admission?
When you purchase a $5 entry ticket to The Coast Guard Heritage Museum you get access to the 2,7000 square feet of displays that cover the history of The Coast Guard with special insight into its efforts in Massachusetts and Cape Cod.
In addition to entry to the museum, you can get a handheld audio tour to help guide you through the different exhibits without any additional charge. Additionally, there are typically two volunteer docents on staff that will give guided tours.
An Overview of The Coast Guard Heritage Museum
The first floor of the museum covers the early years of The Coast Guard starting with its predecessor organizations: the US Revenue Cutter Service and the US Life Saving Service. Additionally, you can find additional exhibits covering the following information on the first floor:
- The finest hours rescue (the rescue of the Pendleton in 1952)
- Special displays on navigation
- A large-scale model of the active Coast Guard Cutter Campbell
- The World War II-era cutter Cayuga
The fun does not end there. When you move to the second floor you will find a room that is wholly dedicated to the US Life Saving Service along with its subsidiary the US Light Ship Service. Additionally, you can find exhibits upstairs covering:
- Rescue boats and small coastal patrol boats
- The Marine Environmental Protection Commission
- Coast Guard at War (covering from the war of 1812 through the modern-day)
- Collection of different uniforms throughout the years
- Coast Guard Aviation
- Icebreakers
There is also a special display that covers the two Coast Guard astronauts that were provided to NASA. Essentially there is something in the museum for any Coast Guard lover.
The US Customs House Building
The building that houses the Coast Guard Heritage Museum is a historical artifact in itself. In fact, it has been on the National Register for Historic Places since 1975.
The red-brick style of building is extremely unique to the area; however, it was the standard style of build for the Treasury Department. Additionally, the cast-iron structure of the two-story building was abnormally advanced for the era.
The building has played home to a variety of occupants as it has housed a local post office, county extension services, and the Barnstable Historical Society. The building was taken over by The Coast Guard Heritage Museum in 2005 when the Barnstable Historical Society moved to a new location.
Why Cape Cod?
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum is one of only two free-standing museums that is dedicated to the history of the US Coast Guard. Why was Cape Cod chosen for this honor?
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the birthplace of the US Coast Guard. In addition, being a very popular coastal destination, Cape Cod has a rich history of Coast Guard tradition.
Next time you are visiting, make sure to save some time to check out the Coast Guard Heritage Museum and all it has to offer.
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